The Wandering Path of Deep Red Snow
by AnimeAiedail
Summary: The story is based around the idea of an English Soul Society.
1. Chapter 1 The Red Lake

**Right then this is my first fanfiction and will be entwined with another authors Bleach fan story (**_**Animeloveramy **_**) and will tell the story from the perspective of my tribute character (though as Amy will be fast to point out he's not like me though I still think that im as good looking as him...)**

**Please note that this may not make sense unless you're up to date with Amy's story **

**Chapter 1-The Blood Red Lake**

Wind rustled through the trees creepily, a sense of imminent foreboding filled me. Something was wrong. Glancing around I noticed that the forest that surrounded my fire lit clearing was denser and darker than it had ever been before, deciding to investigate I call my Zanpakuto however instead of him three dark figures emerge from the forest in front of me, just far enough away for the firelight to shed no light on any distinctive features. They are all however wearing haori and as they turn and walk away I have just enough time to identify the numbers on their backs, Japanese division, captains three, five and nine. I follow; I know this is not a good move as the darkness of my mind is a danger even to me. I give chase as fast as I can however I can only catch glimpses of their shapes as they move through my inner world silently. I pull up sharp. Stretching into the distance in front of me is a lake which shimmers in a shade that reminds me nastily of blood, one of the figures in standing on the lake, their haori fluttering in the wind and their sword drawn. They turned towards me and began to run. I notice the two haori floating, limp and lifeless on the surface near me just before the figure comes into a distance I could recognise them from.

I sat bolt upright at the knock on my bedroom's door, conscious of the fact that my body was coated in a layer of sweat. Going into my bathroom I survey the sight in the mirror, a tall quite good looking (at least I think so) soul reaper currently stripped to the waist with his purple hair sticking to my forehead where it hung in a fringe across one eye due to the sweat that covered my toned and muscled body. Throwing on a gown I open the door the the sight of the new 5th seat, a youngish girl who kept her browny ginger hair tucked behind her ears and who I had been trying to get to loosen up her by-the-book manner with little success since she had taken the seat about a month before.

'Vice Captain'

'Yes'

'The Captain has requested that you make yourself presentable for today, sir'

'Did the captain care to say why?'

'No sir, only that you needed to be presentable and combat ready' Now there's an odd combination I thought, unlike the captain to ask for a contradiction, presentable suggests we are entertaining a guest but combat ready suggests we may be about to run into some fight or another.

'Ok, thanks for passing the message on, please have the daily intel brief ready for me at breakfast'

'yes sir, very good, sir'

'oh and don't call me sir, call me Aiedail'

'yes, sir' Rolling my eyes I shut the door and began to make preparations, having already decided that a good middle route between presentable and combat ready was to do neither but not to be scruffy or unprepared, in my life either could be fatal, for some reason my captains tongue and getting stabbed where fairly similar in my eyes.

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**My apologies about the lack of organised style however hopefully this will get better with time, please feel free to comment and rate and I do read and take on all feedback I get **


	2. Chapter 2 Visitors

**Chapter 2-Visitors**

Stepping out of the barracks I was immediately met by my captain, Katie Jones with a stranger I don't know, however this unknown is wearing a captains haori so I concluded she must be one of the mysterious Japanese captains, sizing her up I couldn't help but notice the steel in her eyes and the curves of her body. _This could be interesting..._

'Hello miss'

I know as soon as my head starts to hurt that Katie has slapped me, only her and Amelia, her sister, can slap me that fast. I'm forced to stand through the humiliation of Katie explaning im a womanizer while I concentrate on stopping my face turning scarlet. As it turns out this stranger is the Japanese 2nd squad captain, Soi Fon, immediately my thoughts go to how pleased Amelia will be to have someone other than me to practice Japanese on however im still in the dark about her purpose here.

'May I ask captain, why you are here?' I ask

'I suppose you may. We are here to hold a captains exam. You see, we need three new captains and your soul society has many more captain level shinigami. We will, however, be entering our legitimate candidates as well, to give them a Fair chance at what is really, rightfully theirs.' Soi Fon explained.

_A captains exam... uh oh_

'And I will be entering you.' Katie cut in. 'you had best get training. Maybe Soi Fon will let you train with her if you ask nice enough.' I could see the sly glint in Katie's eyes but glanced at Soi Fon to get her reaction, from the cold in her eyes I doubted I would be sparring with anyone new anytime soon.

'I have to deliver this paperwork. I'll find someone to train with after.' I quickly put in to cover the awkward moment, then move off towards the central barracks, flash stepping lightly from rooftop to rooftop.

The sun beat down with pounding heat as I made my way to deliver my monthly paperwork to the head captain, Soi Fon's message about a captain's exam revolved in my head, along with Katie's announcement that she was going to enter me, this time next week I could be a captain.... I reflected on how far I had come... Katie and her sister Amelia, who is vice of the 10th squad and my best friend, grew up with me under the protection of the Head Captain, Hetta Goodwin, after we both lost our parents. We all owe a lot to Hetta, she showed us who we are and helped us put our lives back together and gave me the most treasured gift of all, a true friend.

The 1st squad barracks looms before me, like normal im late but I know that Hetta won't mind, never know I may even run into Amelia.

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Sitting there, lonely, deserted, desperate. The chill beginning to come to my bones that I know will lead to my death; I welcome it with open arms. The holes in my heart send me shooting into the darkness.

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The 1st squad barracks are reasonably quiet; everyone not on duty is outside enjoying one of the first days of true summer, as I ascend to the top of the building I take time to appreciate the delicate wall hangings, even after walking through this space so many times it still fills me with a sense of calm and wonder.

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My eyes open to a tall girl with glowing blonde hair halfway down her back; she seems to radiate warmth and peace. I believe that she is my angel, in a way I am right.

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I knock on the office door and enter as I am called; pleased to see Amy as I walk in and put my paper next to an identical stack I assume she has just delivered. Hetta is sitting at the desk like normal, smiling at me just like the day we first met...

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The angel smiles, that smile radiates confidence and calm. I believe that I am dead and im in heaven. She scoops me up into her arms and carries me. At some point along the way I must lose consciousness as the next thing I see is a pair of deep aqua blue eyes augmented with years of experience gazing down on me while I lay in that soft warm room.

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'Talk later Hetta? Amy asks, striking me out of my revelry and once our friend has nodded a dismissal we rush to the training ground, like normal Amy is beating me before we have left the barracks and remains in the lead, in a combat situation I can keep up with her but in a straight race it's no competition. Like normal she arrives before me and makes sure I know it:

'I won, sucker!' She informs me once I arrive.

'Of course you did; you always do.' I state flatly.

I feel the vibration behind me that gives me a split seconds warning to the blade whistling towards my back. Amy stops it with her sword before I get a chance to dodge; she had a split second more reaction time because she was facing me and my attacker.

'God, if Amy wasn't here to protect you you'd be dead!' she cried in a high, scathing tone. I know immediately who owns that voice and turn around to my sometime nemesis and sometime friend, obviously having a nemesis day, Leah Benning the 8th squad vice captain and one of the other captain level soul reapers, though I have never seen her Ban Kai

'What do you want?' I ask in the special tone I reserve for her, not patronising as such but a delicate and well thought through blend of patronising, insulting and complementary that experience has shown tends to show what mood she is in well.

'Why should I tell you?' she asked in a disgusted tone. _Ok so definitely a bad mood then, I wonder which boy has annoyed her, better be on my guard..._

Leah is prone to mood swings like this, sometime she can be a brilliant friend but that has been becoming rarer and rarer recently, sometimes I even catch myself missing her company in our days.

Amy, ever the diplomat, distracts Leah with an offer to spar and I quietly watch the pair trading blows from a nearby roof. After a few seconds of crossing blades Leah decides its time to take it up a level, which is a shame really as im enjoying watching Amy beat Leah to pulp in standard combat.

'Let's take this up a notch shall we?'

Leah raised her soul slayer before her face and yelled 'Hiss, Death Star!' The sword became alive with power as it grew into a distinctly non-feminine large blade, the only deminine attribute it held was the pink that its blade glowed, her sword being one of the fed that was made of vibrating spirit power rather than cold steel.

When Amy moves her blade to her lips I subtlety summon a kido barrier in front of me to protect me from any other the lost power of her Shi Kai release. I see her lips move and though not even my fine detail hearing can hear what she says I know. 'Bleed Akane-Yuki' I notice how she has managed to improve the technique even in the few days since we last sparred.

The blade of her sword shimmers and the metal itself appears to bleed until she holds a brilliant, blood red sword with matching ribbon trailing behind, in front of her. I feel a prickle above my heart and know that this is her full shi kai, or as full as she can get within her seal.

Me, Amelia and the 5th squad vice captain, Damian are the only soul reapers in history to have semi-permanent seals on our power both in the soul society and the real world. Several years ago it was decided that we were becoming too powerful for vice captains and needed to be sealed so we all had the power that we shouldn't need on a day to day basis or even in moderate fights sealed and a tattoo above our heart placed to allow us to request the seal is lifted temporarily. Above my hear resides a dragon and though we are not supposed to know what the others are due to some drunken nights from the glimpses I gathered from the top of Amy's dress I would guess hers is some kind of flower, after all she always seems to have an affinity with pretty flowers, rather like her personality I think...

I become aware of two more figures that have masked spirit power and have also come to watch the fight which I note with some satisfaction Amelia is winning easily. Looking up at the unexpected guests I see that one is Amy's captain, Antonia and the other is a boy who looks barely old enough to be a soul reaper but wearing a captain's haori, a Japanese haori. _So this is the infamous Tochiro Hitsugaya..._

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Please read and review, im aware im getting a bit behind Amy here but I have some more time now


	3. Chapter 3 Baka at your service

**Chapter 3-Baka at your service**

''Il never get used to this'' I thought as once more Amy sent me flying, sparring with her was always one of the high spots of my day. But normally the most painful. Particularly if I made vaguely suggestive remarks beforehand, which had a tendency to happen. Often.

''Right that's it, if we carry on much longer our admirers will get bored and move on, call it a draw?'' I suggested after picking myself up of the floor, nodding towards Captain Lucca and Hitsugaya who had been watching the match and whispering to each other.

''But technically, I won before we started'' Amy pointed out with that sweet innocent grin of hers.

_Technicalities, always technicalities…_

"Have you heard about the captain's exam Amy?" I asked as we walked over to where the Captains where waiting. She looked at me in surprise, wondering what on earth I was going on about probably

"No, what's that?" she asked me, unsure now as that sounded important.

"It's the reason Captain Toushiro is here, didn't you think to ask?" I pointed out

_Of cause she didn't, hes Japanese, she would have been far to busy being excited_

"No…"

"Idiot."

"Baka! Anyway, you never told me what it was!" she shot back in annoyance. I explained, watching as her eyes gradually brightened until they where positively glowing. "I am so in!" she cried loudly, balling her hand into a fist and bringing it down in front of her happily.

_No stopping her now, I pity whoever has to be in her company for the next few minutes…_

"Right captain?" she then asked nervously. Toni nodded, smiling and Amy's grin was back, though I thought I caught a slightly mischievous gleam in her eyes now…and then she asked Hitsugaya if she could race him. _Poor soul_ _I thought_, as I watched her disappear in a flash, managing to follow a dozen steps before she blinked out of sight_. _

''Do you recon he knows what he just let himself in for?'' I questioned Toni, grinning at my friends speed that would almost definitely take the young Captain, possibly literally, off his feet.

''No clue, shame though, I would give a lot to see his face at the other end when he does realise''

''Yeh, I really need to talk to the Scout Corps about those new speed camera's, \then we might have got a mugshot…"

"Something to work on, anyhow I suppose I had better go and make sure my squad hasn't blown up more than half the barracks without me, See you later" Toni said before disappearing in a buzz of air, leaving me feeling a bit lonely in a corner of the training field with everyone else off doing something.

_Oh well, suppose id better get some more training in before next week, see if I can perfect this sword lock iv been working on_ I thought and headed off in the direction of me and Amelia's hidden training ground.

Ok that ending was pathetic but I wasn't quite sure how to end that… ah well chappie four here I come

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